MK Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz) just announced that he will be running against Ron Huldai for the position of mayor of Tel Aviv. With municipal elections coming only in October, Horowitz for now remains a Member of Knesset. AS MK, Horowitz has proposed a new law.The law proposed, if it would be passed, would allow parents to ride the bus with a child in a stroller without having to buy a ticket for the stroller/child, even while leaving the stroller open. Currently, parents who do not want to pay for an extra ticket have to fold the stroller and hold the child.
According to Horowitz, the current requirement of folding the stroller and holding the child, or paying for the extra ticket, has become a burden for the parents, creates a serious risk of danger, and prevents parents from using the bus system.
According to Israel Hayom's report (see screen capture of IH article), the proposal has broad support in the Knesset.
This would clearly help many parents, it would save them some money, and it would definitely make it easier for them. Horowitz's law proposal would even help the religious and Haredi parents much more than his secular constituents, as they have more kids, on average, they use the bus more, on average, and would benefit from saving that money and from the burden of dealing with folding the stroller and holding everything.
It seems that the law would make the stroller similar to any other bag or package being carried by a passenger. Just as one does not need to either hold or pay for his backpack, but could place it on the floor of the bus, so his/her stroller would also be just like a backpack. Otherwise why should the stroller be free while a passenger who has to stand due to a shortage of seats, or someone who wants to stand for whatever reason instead of sitting, must pay full price even though he is not sitting?
The problem might become if parents will no longer be encouraged to fold the strollers, since it is free anyway, what is going to happen on the buses when there are 3 strollers, 4 strollers, or more, and nobody has any reason to attempt dealing with folding the strollers and holding the kids and bags? The buses are going to get more crowded.
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Your last sentence says it all. If someone gets on with their colossal Graco, they are taking up the space of another 2-3 people - lost revenue to the bus company. Is the government going to subsidize 'extra luggage'?
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